Baked Onions (Irish)

"(L)est your kissing should be spoiled," Jonathan Swift once proposed, "The onion must be thoroughly boiled." Nonetheless, those onions were often roasted in the embers of the hearth in modest Irish homes, or in the all-purpose cauldron called the "bastable".

9 small onions, unpeeled, cut 2" (5 cm) in diameter

To Serve:
butter
coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Spread the onions out in a casserole dish and roast for 20-30 minutes or until soft.

Let the onions cool slightly and, when they are cool enough to handle, cut off the root ends.

Serve with the skins still on, to be squeezed out by each diner, who should add butter and salt to taste.

Makes 4-6 servings.